Becoming a Child Passenger Safety Technician

After 4 years working at Safe Kids Worldwide, I finally got registered for a car seat certification course. It was long overdue. As someone who doesn’t have a kid, and has only ever driven two cars in my entire life, my knowledge of cars and car seats was pretty limited. I spend my days writing tips about installing car seats and how to be safe on the road, but I had never once installed a car seat before. Every time I had a question, I would just email another tech in the office and get their expert advice. And then finally I found time to take 4 days out of my normal work schedule to take the class.

And I wish I had taken the class years ago.

The amount of information they crammed into those few days was incredible. Now I know the different kinds of seat belts, where to find air bags, what a tether is, how to fit a child in the seat, and on and on.

But what is most amazing is that I can use this knowledge to actually make a difference in people’s lives. After just four days, I can help a parent determine the safest way for their child to ride, and can help them learn to install their car seat properly so their child is always riding as safe as possible.

This May, we’re celebrating Child Passenger Safety Technician Month by hosting tons of certification classes across the country. Take a look to see if there are any classes in your area. Once you learn the ins and out of how car seats and cars work together to keep kids safe, you can save lives, too.

This blog was written by Julie Kenneally.